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(05/28/98 9:00am)
The in-house search committee for the new Faculty Master of Stouffer College House experienced a stroke of luck last semester when Philip Nichols received tenure. The Wharton School's professor of Legal Studies happened to be promoted just as the search committee began its hunt for German Professor Karl Otto's replacement. The previous Faculty Master's term ended last semester. According to Residential Faculty Council Chairperson and English Professor Al Filreis, tenure is a pre-requisite for consideration for a Faculty Master appointment. He noted that it is not a requirement, however, for the position of Faculty Fellow, which Nichols has held for the past two years in Stouffer. "Although it doesn't happen often, the ideal situation is when a faculty fellow becomes faculty master in the same house," Filreis explained. "Phil is beloved by the Stouffer community and so his selection was a natural move." Interim provost Michael Wachter announced Nichols' appointment with excitement last Wednesday. "Phil Nichols is a terrific choice to lead the Stouffer College House," Wachter said last week. "His direct experience with Stouffer is invaluable and I'm delighted he's decided to accept these additional responsibilities." An award-winning professor, Nichols, 37, joined the University as an assistant professor of Legal Studies in 1992. He was the Ronald Koenig Term Assistant Professor from 1994 to 1997 and has taught courses including International Business Transactions, Legal Aspects of Doing Business with Emerging Economies and Introduction to Law. The 1996 David W. Hauck Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching, the 1996 Intergreek Council Award for Outstanding Teaching and Wharton's Undergraduate Teaching Award are just a few of the teaching awards Nichols has received during his time at the University. Nichols received his bachelor's degree from Harvard University in 1982 and a J.D. and a master's degree in foreign and international law from Duke University School of Law in 1988. Stouffer residents pointed out that the college house has and will continue to benefit from the presence of the entire Nichols family, which includes Nichols' wife Amy and the couple's three young sons, Tanner, 5; Hilyard, 3; and Browning, 2. College sophomore and Stouffer resident Elizabeth Rode, who was a member of the search committee, said that "the Nicholses relate to the Stouffer community on all levels -- as friends, advisors and supporters." Rode, who will return to Stouffer for a second year in the fall, added that everyone in the college house was secretly hoping that Nichols would be appointed. Nichols said he is "terribly excited" about the position, noting that Stouffer is a very special community. He added that he hopes to play a role in bridging the "artificial gap between faculty and students," as part of the implementation of the new residential college house system. And Nichols also emphasized the importance of the Stouffer community in the lives of his own children. "[My kids] love it -- it's like they have 130 big brothers and sisters," Nichols said.
(05/21/98 9:00am)
Wharton graduates may be described as business savvy, Engineering graduates as technologically astute, but members of the College of Arts and Sciences Class of 1998 are characterized by resourcefulness and ingenuity, as they demonstrated at Sunday evening's graduation exercises. When coordinators for the Franklin Field ceremony underestimated the size of the class by about 50, graduates took it upon themselves to rush onto the field behind the stage and to "borrow" extra chairs from the rows that had been set up for Monday morning's commencement. The team-player mentality was evident in this year's College class as graduates grabbed not only seats for themselves, but for others, selflessly passing them back to fellow graduates. After everyone was finally seated, School of Arts and Sciences Dean Samuel Preston welcomed the large crowd of faculty, family and friends, paying special recognition to the particularly animated group of graduates. "I especially want to welcome the great College of Arts and Sciences Class of 1998," Preston said proudly. "You did it!" College Dean Richard Beeman then took the podium to add his own words of inspiration. A history professor, Beeman regaled the crowd with a sampling of his famed Ben Franklin anecdotes, urging graduates to "have the curiosity that keeps you young and inquisitive like Franklin." And student speaker Laura Schulman also offered own words of advice to her classmates. She concluded by asking her classmates to have the courage to take risks, reminding them that "if you don't swing the bat, you can't hit the ball." The keynote speaker, Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell -- a 1965 College graduate -- then took the stage to spirited applause. A political science major at Penn, Rendell attended law school at Villanova and was elected mayor in 1991. Vice President Al Gore has dubbed him "America's Mayor" for his work in balancing the budget and dramatically reducing the city's crime rate. Rendell got the crowd laughing as he began with an anecdote about his 18-year old son Jesse, who will join the University next year as a member of the class of 2002. He described how Jesse recently arose at 5:45 on the morning his 8:30 a.m. Advanced Placement Calculus exam to begin studying. The crowd erupted into laughter when Rendell told of how, despite having his own driver's license and car, Jesse woke his parents at 5:46 a.m. to ask them to drive to the store for soda because he "needed every minute he could get to study." "He is absolutely ready for Penn," the mayor said of his son. Rendell then went on to praise the class of 1998 for their work in Philadelphia, noting that this year's class has done more community service than any in the past. He also beseeched graduates to make a difference in their communities. "You can change anything," he said. "You might not be able to change it as quickly or as completely as you want, but you can change anything." And before graduates proceeded across the stage to receive their degrees, Beeman added one final logistical note about the next day's commencement ceremony. He pointed out that because the College is first in the alphabet, its graduates are often unsure of exactly how to act when presented by the dean to University President Judith Rodin as candidates for degrees. "Wharton is always making a lot of noise and waving their briefcases and stock portfolios," Beeman said to roaring laughter. "When Dean Preston stands there tomorrow, you all can wave your copies of The Iliad or Virginia Woolf."
(05/21/98 9:00am)
and Edward Sherwin The sign outside the Walnut Street West Branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia still promises "Big Changes are Coming," but not the changes for which community members were hoping. When the library, located at 40th and Walnut streets, was forced to close its doors in October of 1996 to allow for installation of computer wiring, it was expected to reopen for use within six months. However, six months quickly turned into a year as electricians deemed the building's foundation structurally unsound and were forced to close the work site. And in the most recent development, Free Library officials announced earlier this week that the 90-year old building -- donated to the city by industrialist Andrew Carnegie -- will never reopen. "It was considered a very valuable part of the library system," said Cynthia Bayete, a spokesperson for the Free Library system. She added that it served a diverse community of more than 30,000 people in West Philadelphia. The decision was made reluctantly only after more than one engineering firm put projected costs for renovations at more than $6 million -- just to make the building safe. According to Bayete, the city's budget for library renovations amounts to only $5 million a year and renovating the Walnut West branch would have to come at the expense of other locations. "We'd have to not renovate 10 buildings to fix up Walnut Street West -- that one building," she said. The library does, however, have a temporary home at 3927 Walnut Street until more permanent space can be found. In February the University agreed to rent the location, which used to house the Student Employment Office, to the library for $1 a year. Although the two-story building, is relatively small, Penn's Managing Director for Economic Development Jack Shannon called it a "more than sufficient" temporary location. The site, which Shannon expects to be "operational" in early July, will host a small collection and a limited number of basic services. Library officials did emphasize, however, that the location at 3927 Walnut is only temporary and that they hope to find another site within close proximity to its former location. "We're looking at all potentially available properties in the area," Shannon said, adding that University and city officials were still in an "exploratory stage" of development. Last February, Beth Ann Johnson -- president of Walnut Street's branch of Friends of the Free Library -- called the library a "keystone" of the committee when it was open. Besides housing books and resources, the building hosted tutoring projects and summer reading programs, according to Johnson, whose non-profit group serves a bridge between the library and the community. Bayete said that the historic building's future lies in the hands of the city, adding that demolition is "always a possibility for a building with structural damage."
(04/29/98 9:00am)
When College sophomore and newly elected Undergraduate Assembly Chairperson Bill Conway entered high school, he had no political aspirations. Instead, acting was the ninth grader's forte. He landed his first role as one of the winged monkeys in his school's musical production of The Wizard of Oz. "I sang 'America the Beautiful' for the try-out," Conway said. "That might explain why I only had one line." Conway's short-lived acting career ended following his poignant portrayal of Pavo, the town cobbler, in a production entitled Fools. From there, Conway dabbled in a variety of other extra-curricular pursuits before finally finding his calling as one of the two 10th-grade student government representatives. And the rest is history. He went on to become vice president and later president of his high school class at the Latin School of Chicago. Conway noted that he shared a school and a zip code -- 60657 -- with two other Penn student leaders, both of whom also served as senior class president: College senior and former UA Chairperson Larry Kamin and current UA member and College junior Jeremy Katz, who ran against Conway for chairperson. Although Conway admits he secretly coveted student government positions in high school mainly because of a lust for power, he said an eye-opening experience at the end of his senior year changed his entire perspective. During a routine physical for the baseball team, Conway's doctor noticed that his heart murmur had worsened and referred him to a cardiologist. Doctors discovered a large hole in his heart. Just 10 days after graduating from high school, Conway underwent heart surgery. "It sounds cheesy, but after that experience, it was no longer about the power," he explained. "It really put things into perspective for me -- I wanted to make a difference." When Conway followed Katz and Kamin to Penn, he was steered toward the UA by Kamin, who was the body's vice chairperson during the 1996-97 term. "I wanted to get involved in the legislative and policy-making aspect of student government," Conway said. Although he has only been on the UA for two years, Conway -- the fifth of the last six UA heads to be elected as a sophomore -- has risen rapidly to the top of the organization. He served on the Facilities Committee his first year and was elected to the executive board as treasurer this past year. While in that position, he served as the executive liaison to the now-defunct UA Academic Committee. During his campaign, Conway emphasized the importance of academics to the UA, a policy which he maintained despite the recent executive board decision to eliminate the Academic Committee. "Just because we don't have an academic committee, it doesn't mean we can't address academic issues," Conway explained. "It just means that if we get involved, it will be on a larger scale and at a full body level." Conway also noted his confidence in the Student Committee on Undergraduate Education, which he said is far better equipped than the UA to handle most academic issues. "I hope to collaborate a lot more with SCUE," he said. "I am a big, huge believer in collaboration between student groups, especially within the five branches of student government." At the top of Conway's agenda for his UA are retail for Sansom Common, recreation facilities and improving attendance. But while tackling the issues, Conway will have to deal with a body that appeared divided along fraternity lines during last month's election, when Conway, a Phi Kappa Psi brother, ran against Katz, a Zeta Beta Tau brother. Last year's UA also dealt with some division between Greeks and non-Greeks over issues such as UA funding for InterFraternity Council-lead campus-wide social events, Conway said he does not foresee the large Greek presence on the UA causing any divisiveness next year. "[The Greek members] all show a willingness to get really involved," he said. "I think we will be able to put the Greek, non-Greek chasm aside and work together as students to make Penn a better place." He also emphasized his intention to improve attendance through the creation of a stringent policy, after last year's body was plagued by poor attendance. "There will be an attendance bylaw that has some teeth to it," he said. "But I think this UA will be effective and that attendance will rise naturally regardless of the attendance policy because people will want to be here." And Conway seems to have the confidence of several student leaders behind him, including Wharton senior and former Student Activities Council Chairperson Steve Schorr. "He is going to be, by far, the best UA chair in a long time," Schorr said. "He's a strong leader, he's principled and, most importantly, he's willing to take a stand on controversial issues."
(04/24/98 9:00am)
Penn, Columbia and Yale each increased their admissions selectivity. Urban universities seem to be the genre of choice for this year's batch of Ivy League pre-frosh. As a result of increased applications, Columbia University in New York City, Penn and New Haven, Conn.'s Yale University have all been able to increase their selectivity this year, with Columbia in the lead. "I think we're seeing that the urban institutions in the Ivy League seem to be leading the way in the past few years," said Columbia Director of Undergraduate Admissions Eric Furda. "Families are finally willing to give us a chance by visiting urban campuses." While Columbia accepted 17.5 percent of last year's applicant pool, the admissions office only sent out acceptance letters to 14.2 percent of this year's pool. Although Penn's 29 percent acceptance rate was the second-highest in the Ivy League this year, Penn also had the second-highest increase in selectivity in the Ivies, accepting two percentage points less of its applicants. Last year, Penn accepted 31 percent of its 15,459 applicants. This month, Penn admitted 4,837 students out of 16,651 applications, the most it has ever received. Yale was the only other Ivy school to see a full 1 percentage-point increase in selectivity. Yale admissions accepted 16.8 percent of its 11,944 applicant pool this year, down from the 17.8 percent acceptance rate of last year's pool of 12,046 applicants. The remaining five Ivy schools reported relatively constant admissions rates. Cornell and Princeton universities and Dartmouth College all saw slight decreases in selectivity this year, while Brown saw a slight increase and Harvard remained the same. Cornell accepted 34.3 percent of its 19,858-person applicant pool, up slightly from last year's 33.8 percent admit rate from a pool of 19,854. Princeton also accepted slightly more applicants this year, admitting 13.1 percent from a pool of 13,006. In 1997, Princeton accepted only 12.9 percent of a slightly larger pool of 13,400. And Dartmouth accepted 21.6 percent of its 10,143 applicants this year, up from last year's admit rate of 21 percent from a pool of 10,643. Brown increased in selectivity by only about 0.2 percentage points this year, admitting 17 percent of students from a pool of 15,500. Last year the Providence, R.I., school accepted 17.2 percent of a pool of 14,898 students. Harvard remained steady in terms of selectivity, accepting 12.3 percent -- the lowest Ivy rate -- of this year's applicant pool of 16,818. Last year, Harvard also admitted 12.3 percent of its applicants, from a slightly smaller pool of 16,594. An article in this week's Chronicle of Higher Education suggests that Columbia may actually take the place of Yale in the ranks of what are considered to be the three most prestigious schools, which also includes Harvard and Princeton. But Furda was hesitant to make any rash predictions. "We are all very strong institutions," he said. "And the numbers change so much from year to year." Although the current data looks promising for Penn and Columbia, both Furda and Penn's Admissions Dean Lee Stetson emphasized that the numbers may change after May 1, when students must notify colleges of their decision to matriculate. Stetson noted that the Penn admissions office saw a 20 percent increase from last year in the number of admitted students who visited campus over the Penn Preview Days, which ended yesterday. "We're being absolutely overwhelmed with visitors," Stetson said. "And they're telling us that an urban education is highly valued."
(04/22/98 9:00am)
The new Undergraduate Assembly got off to a positive start Monday night as 23 out of its 24 members attended the body's first weekly meeting, much of which was spent electing members to several committees. Despite a close race for chairperson more than a week ago between Zeta Beta Tau brother Jeremy Katz and Phi Kappa Psi's Bill Conway -- which left fears that the body, with 15 members in the two fraternities, would be divided along fraternity lines -- new UA Chairperson Conway said he did not detect any problems at the meeting. "Ever since the transition meeting, I've become even more confident about the talents and abilities of the body," said the College sophomore. "I don't foresee any problems with divisiveness, and I do see a lot of possibility." The majority of the hour-long meeting was spent electing members to a variety of both UA committees and Ivy and University councils. After a brief round of introductions, College sophomore and newly elected Vice Chairperson Michael Bassik asked assembly members to sign up for one of the four UA committees: student life, facilities, West Philadelphia or Greek life. Bassik also noted that the executive board had debated and decided to eliminate its Academic Committee because they felt it was working against the mission of the Student Committee on Undergraduate Education, which works on academic issues such as tenure and curriculum changes and provides an undergraduate voice on academic policy. The decision was "a vote of confidence in SCUE," he said. SCUE Chairperson Rachael Goldfarb said that the group "is truly appreciative of the UA's vote of confidence in our efforts to better undergraduate education." "Bill Conway has been supportive of SCUE's efforts, and SCUE is willing to listen to any academic concerns of his or the UA body," the College junior added. College freshman and newly-elected Treasurer Jonathan Glick then asked for nominations for the two open seats on the UA's budget committee. The committee analyzes every budget request brought before the UA during the year and is also responsible for distributing the UA's more than $1,000,000 budget to all student groups, according to Glick. Conway, a College sophomore and former UA treasurer, described the budget committee seats as "probably the most powerful positions on the UA." Engineering freshman Theo LeCompte, College juniors Jeremy Katz and Samara Barend and College freshman Melanie Liebner were all nominated for the committee. Katz and LeCompte were the only ones to give brief speeches about their plans for the committee, however, as Barend -- a Daily Pennsylvanian columnist -- declined the nomination and Liebner did not attend the meeting. Katz said he wants to look into the way the Student Activities Council allocates money, noting that SAC is "a bunch of bleeding hearts that give money away to things that no one on this campus cares about." The UA allocates nearly $500,000 of its annual budget to SAC. "We're giving out money, and we don't know where it's going," Katz explained. LeCompte said a desire to become more involved in the UA accounted for his reason for wanting to be on the Budget Committee. The assembly then elected three members to serve as the University's representatives to the Ivy Council. The Ivy Council serves as a forum for students from all eight Ivy League schools to talk about a variety of issues, Barend explained. College freshmen Alexander Tisch, John Buchanan and Andrew Mandelbaum; Wharton freshmen Aaron Karo and Rishi Bajaj; and Engineering freshman Malhar Saraiya were all nominated, with Saraiya, Bajaj and Tisch winning seats on Council. The body then nominated and elected Karo to the one remaining UA seat on the University Council. Also nominated were College sophomore Mike Silver, who declined, LeCompte, Buchanan and Mandelbaum. Prior to the election, Conway explained the importance of Council meetings, noting that they are attended by University President Judith Rodin, Interim Provost Michael Wachter and other campus leaders. "Two out of every three meetings will be stuff we don't care about like faculty pension plans," Conway said. "But one out of every three will be very important. One time we got to discuss the possibility of Penn police carrying around semi-automatic weapons -- it was very cool." The UA has 15 Council seats, and following Karo's election, Conway urged all seat holders to attend meetings. "If people have class conflicts, we do have the power to remove you," Conway said. "We'd better have 15 people there or damn close to it."
(04/20/98 9:00am)
Two major student government groups, the Social Planning and Events Committee and the Nominations and Elections Committee, elected new officers last week. Three days before the beginning of Spring Fling, the event's directors scored a major coup in the elections for next year's board of SPEC. SPEC is the umbrella group for several organizations that coordinate campus-wide social events including Fling, SPEC Jazz and Connaissance, which brings speakers to campus. Former Fling Tri-Chairperson Bruce Frey, a College junior, was elected SPEC president last Tuesday, replacing College senior Sean Steinmarc. Wharton and Engineering junior Seema Singh, also a tri-chairperson of this year's Fling Committee, won the post of vice president formerly held by Darryl Maxwell, a College senior. Former SPEC Jazz Co-Chairperson and Engineering junior David Wachs replaced Wharton senior Kimberlyn Dennis as treasurer. And Melissa Davey, a College senior, handed over the title of secretary to College junior Rashmi Gupta. Frey said he was looking forward to starting his job. "I am very enthused about working with such a fantastic group of people next year," he said. "We're going to make it a very productive time." The executive board of the NEC also handed over the reins to a new group of leaders Tuesday night as Wharton junior Neha Champaneria took the helm from former Chairperson Chris LaVigne, a College senior. Former Vice Chairperson for Elections and College sophomore Mike Brody passed on the title to College sophomore Christine Naselaris, the former vice chairperson for publicity. Brody will now take on the post of vice chairperson for nominations, formerly held by Evan Fleck, a College junior. Also, Wharton freshman Nick Goad was elected vice chairperson for feedback, replacing Champaneria; College freshman Brian Rosenzweig was elected to the position of vice chairperson for publicity; and Engineering freshman Teresa Lee will replace Goad as secretary. The NEC runs all student government elections, including those for Undergraduate Assembly and class boards. It also appoints students to serve on various Trustee and University committees. Champaneria praised LaVigne for his work this year. "I think Chris did a really good job this year," she said. "It was a year of transition and he did really well with it."
(04/14/98 9:00am)
Conway and College junior Jeremy Katz vied for the post after College junior Samara Barend was eliminated in the first vote. and Katie Maloney Continuing the recent trend of marathon elections, the Undergraduate Assembly spent four hours last night in the bowels of Stouffer College House electing its new executive board, selecting College sophomore and former Treasurer Bill Conway as chairperson. The new members of the UA -- elected earlier this month -- nominated and cast their ballots for the body's five steering committee positions: chairperson, vice chairperson, treasurer, secretary and University Council representative. The election proceedings, which were run by the Nominations and Elections Committee, allowed for a statement from the current position-holder as well as from each of the nominees, followed by a question-and-answer period. The first, and most hotly contested race, was for the position of chairperson, which was laden with controversy. After the initial vote, outgoing Vice Chairperson and College junior Samara Barend was eliminated from the race, leaving only two candidates: Conway and UA incumbent Jeremy Katz, a College junior. The race between these two nominees was closely watched as there were rumors that Katz, a Zeta Beta Tau brother, had solicited votes from the nine ZBT members recently elected to the UA. Many of the questions in the question-and-answer period were slightly hostile toward Katz, who was questioned sharply about his attendance at UA and Council meetings, as well as the broad nature of his proposals. Fraternity ties brotherhood ultimately proved insufficient to elect Katz, as Conway managed to edge him out after an unprecedented five ballots. Conway was elected only after the assembly passed a motion to suspend the UA bylaws calling for a quorum of 13 votes to elect a candidate. It was decided that a simple majority was sufficient after the repeated toss-up votes. Katz then declined Conway's nomination for vice chairperson, and College freshman Michael Bassik was elected to the position. Since Bassik ran unopposed, the assembly passed a motion to bypass formal ballot-casting and simply name him vice chairperson. Katz explained that he "was advised that it was not a desirable position to hold." Bassik, who was completely caught off guard by his selection, accepted the applause with mouth agape. "I was surprised but I definitely appreciated the UA's support," Bassik said. "It's important to have a unified assembly behind the board." Balancing the budget for next year's assembly will be College freshman Jonathan Glick, who ran unopposed for treasurer after Wharton junior Brett Klein declined a nomination. A fourth freshman candidate was elected to next year's executive board to fill the post of secretary, as College freshman Allison Hersh beat out College freshman Melanie Leibner. College freshman Andrew Mandelbaum was also nominated, but declined, noting, "I read the job description, and it sounds like too much work." Each candidate for both the positions of secretary and Council representative were asked by audience members to disclose how they voted in the recent controversial UA decision to allot $30,000 for non-alcoholic campus-wide Greek events. Hersh said she was pleased with her appointment and looked forward to applying her computer knowledge to the UA's Web site. College senior and NEC Chairperson Chris LaVigne termed the final election -- that for Council representative -- "a fitting end for the night" when the ballot count resulted in yet another tie. There were four nominations for the position: College junior David King, College freshman John Buchanan, Engineering freshman Theo LeCompte and Katz, who declined. After three votes, King was declared the victor. Outgoing Chairperson and College junior Noah Bilenker said he was pleased with the outcome of the elections. "I think they elected a fantastic executive board. Although the body as a whole may be harder to work with," he said, noting a possible split between the five Phi Kappa Psi brothers and the 10 ZBT brothers. "I don't think they could have elected any better people," he added Bilenker added that although he was surprised at Bassik's appointment as a freshman, he noted that Bassik's "enthusiasm was quite evident." And he stressed that he is confident Barend will remain active on the UA despite her loss. Conway described the election process as a "gut wrenching" experience, referring to the close competition between him and Katz, a high school classmate. "I'm really excited about the energy of the other board members," Conway said. "Although there are three freshmen, they are all excited to be active and will surely be excellent leaders for the upcoming year." And despite the duration of the meeting, the elections ran "remarkably smoothly," according to LaVigne. "What impressed me most of all was that 24 members of the UA stayed until the final vote for the UC rep," he said. "That really says a lot about the UA. I think the students elected are going to do a great job."
(04/07/98 9:00am)
Admissions selectivity increased at Penn, with 71 percent of Class of 2002 applicants rejected. The largest number of Quaker wannabes ever received depressingly thin envelopes in the mail last week -- 71 percent, to be exact. Admission to the University was more selective this year than ever before. Of the 16,651 students who submitted applications, an all-time high, only 4,837 were offered spots in the Class of 2002, an acceptance rate of only 29 percent, according to Admissions Dean Lee Stetson. Last year, by contrast, 31 percent of applicants were admitted to the class of 2001. In 1996, the admission rate was 30 percent; in 1995, 33 percent. The Penn Admissions Office saw increased application numbers this year while applications to five other Ivy League schools declined or remained steady. Those accepted are very well-prepared academically, according to Stetson. He said the average SAT I score went up 18 points, from 1,383 last year to 1,401 this year. Broken down, the average verbal score increased to 689 from 680, and the average math score went up to 712 from 703. And the average student accepted to the Class of 2002 is in the top 2 percent of the student's graduating class, compared to the top 3 percent last year. Of those offered admission, 581 will graduate as valedictorians and 227 as salutatorians. Stetson also noted that of those whom Admissions rejected, 45 percent were in the top 10 percent of the respected class, 297 are expected to graduate with valedictorian status and 210 as salutatorians. "We are heartened by the excellent quality of the class," Stetson said. "The students bring a lot of diversity, and if our [matriculation rate] holds up, which I think it will, we will have an exceptional Class of 2002." The record-breaking number of applications this year was an 8 percent increase from last year. And the Admissions Office was also more selective in its early-admission process, accepting only 37 percent of early applicants, down from 44 percent in 1997. About one-third of the total applicants admitted were accepted early, Stetson said. In addition, the accepted pool of applicants is geographically diverse, according to Stetson, who said 486 students, or about 10 percent of those admitted, hail from foreign countries. This figure beats out the previous high of 472 international acceptances in 1996. Overall, students accepted to the Class of 2002 represent six continents and 75 countries. Domestically, Stetson also reported all-time highs of acceptances from at least seven different states. From Maryland, 212 applicants were accepted, breaking the previous record of 199 set in 1992; the 506 from California beat last year's mark of 467; 30 from Oregon, up from the high of 27 in 1995; 49 from Washington, up from 45 in 1995; 49 from Colorado, up from last year's high of 45; 11 from Idaho, up from eight last year; and five from Wyoming, beating 1996's record of four applicants. Overall, 19 percent of those accepted hail from western states; 10 percent from the Midwest; and 60 percent from the Atlantic coast. Of the 198 Philadelphia residents accepted, 51 students were named Mayor's Scholars. The 34 Mayor's Scholars in the Class of 2001 received an average of $20,633 in need-based financial aid, mainly in grants. In terms of ethnic diversity, the Class of 2002 should end up relatively similar to the Class of 2001. Forty percent of those accepted are students of color, same as last year. Of those students offered admission, 373 are black, as opposed to the 398 accepted last year; 292 Latino applicants were accepted, compared with 310 last year; 1,258 Asian Americans, 37 more than last year; and 13 Native Americans, four fewer than in 1997. Despite the small decreases in several minority groups, Stetson stressed that the numbers should be consistent with last year's after students are accepted off the waiting list. Women comprise about half of those admitted to the Class of 2002, as 2,412, or about 49.9 percent, are female. By contrast, Stetson noted that in 1983, only 44 percent of admitted students were women. And alumni influence has remained steady, as 8 percent of those accepted are legacies, about the same as last year.
(04/06/98 9:00am)
Locust Walk looked like a spa Friday as passing students were treated to complimentary massages, munched on Powerbars and were tested for their percentage of body fat. Recreation Day, which lasted from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., was a joint venture of the Undergraduate Assembly and several student-health groups including the Student Health Advisory Board, the Drug and Alcohol Resource Team, Facilitating Learning About Sexual Health and Student Nurses at Penn. Members of the Recreation Department also were on hand to demonstrate new fitness equipment, while Dining Services representatives offered nutritional advice. According to College junior and UA Vice Chairperson Samara Barend, one of the coordinators, the event sprang from an idea conceived by Recreation. Recreation had wanted to sponsor some sort of obstacle course to increase waning student involvement in outdoor activities, but was unable to due to time constraints, according to Barend, a Daily Pennsylvanian columnist. And so they decided to join forces with the UA and several student-health groups in order to launch the event. One of the event's highlights was a volleyball tournament sponsored by the UA and the Jewish Activities Center. Several fraternities and sororities participated in the tournament, with Tau Epsilon Phi emerging victorious. The event was well-attended, according to College sophomore Liz Edsall, a SHAB member and one of the event's organizers. "I think people were most interested in the massages," she said. Both Barend and Edsall said they hope to run the event on a larger scale next year, involving more student groups and possibly soliciting the sponsorship of a hospital. "It was great that we could pull this together with so many different groups of campus concerned with health and wellness," Barend said. "It really attracted a lot of attention." College sophomore Rebecca Kirsch said she enjoyed the event. "It was neat that so many facets of the Penn community were all there," Kirsch said. "It seemed to be really well attended, too, and it was a nice day." According to Barend, one student enjoyed the free massages so much that he offered to come back later and pay for another.
(04/03/98 10:00am)
A record 33 percent of students elected 16 Greeks out of the 23 Undergraduate Assembly slots. While the majority of the campus raged at last night's downtown parties, potential candidates for student government were consumed by far more worthy pursuits -- throwing Starburst candy and consuming alcohol. In between the drinking and reveling, nine of 12 Undergraduate Assembly incumbents were re-elected, while at least 16 of the 23 total seats went to Greek candidates. The elections saw the highest turnout in several years --Eat least 33 percent, according to Nominations and Elections Committee officials. Candidates and other student leaders amused themselves with various activities as the NEC deliberated for more than four hours over charges of election-rules violations before announcing the results of the two-day election. However, as Thursday turned to Friday, a large number of candidates, exasperated with the long wait, began to while away the time with a bottle of Jack Daniel's and several cans of beer. As the group steadily became more inebriated, they gathered around the door to the room where the NEC was deliberating and began to call for Mike Brody -- the committee's vice chairperson for elections. The candidates then piled up chairs against the door while chanting "Brody, Brody!" NEC Chairperson Chris LaVigne opened the door immediately and reprimanded the candidates by yelling, "Do you think we want to be here for five hours?" The meeting, which culminates in the announcement of election results, is held every year following elections to decide on the validity of alleged violations of the Fair Practices Code brought before the NEC. According to the code, any undergraduate student, including NEC members, may file a complaint of an alleged violation of the FPC. The charges may be brought against a candidate, the NEC or any other individual believed to have biased the elections. This year, the NEC charged 19 candidates for failure to turn in spending forms on time. According to the newly updated FPC -- the document governing elections -- such a violation "shall be grounds for disqualification." The FPC states that candidates must submit their spending forms to the NEC office within an hour of the closing of polls on the final day of elections. Each of these candidates was allotted one minute in which to plead their case before the NEC. Candidates not present at the hearing were permitted to send someone to speak on their behalf, although several chose not to do so. Candidates offered several common explanations for failing to turn in spending forms, such as deaths in the family and other commitments including exams. Several candidates also offered explanations that they were unsure when the forms were due or had never run before. And College freshman Ray Valerio -- a candidate for sophomore class president -- charged College freshman and current President Cam Winton for violations of the FPC poster policy. Valerio alleged that by his placement of fliers on benches, trash cans and illegal boards, Winton was in violation of the University poster policy. Winton, however, defended himself by noting that the FPC only "urges" candidates to comply with the University's poster policy, and thus a violation is not grounds for disqualification. When the NEC members finally emerged from deliberations at around 1 a.m. this morning, they were welcomed by a burst of applause. But the relief of many soon turned to dismay, as they learned they had been disqualified for neglecting to turn in their spending forms on time. Of the 13 total candidates charged with the violation, eight were disqualified: College freshman Vanessa Freeman; sophomores Marc Simon, Rahman D'Argenio and Troy Madres; juniors William Byrnes and Sean Ward; and Engineering sophomore Joshua McGrath and junior Hadley Harris. LaVigne attributed the large number of disqualifications this year to the more explicit FPC. The NEC also decided not to uphold Valerio's charges for the alleged poster-policy violation and did not disqualify Winton. Of the 25 UA candidates for seats in the College who were not disqualified, 14 were elected to the body as College representatives. College junior and current UA Vice-chairperson Samara Barend, a Daily Pennsylvanian columnist, was re-elected, as was fellow executive board member and College sophomore Bill Conway, the assembly's current treasurer. Also re-elected to College seats were freshmen Michael Bassik, Jonathan Glick, Allison Hersch and Melanie Liebner and junior Jeremy Katz. New to the assembly will be freshmen Seth Sherman, Lisa Lerer and Roby Yadegar; sophomore Mike Silver; and juniors Scott Hoffman and Alexander Tisch. Five of the 10 Wharton candidates were awarded seats on the UA, freshman Rishi Bajaj being the only incumbent. Newcomers including freshman Aaron Karo, sophomore Ryan Robinson and juniors Brett Klein and Dan Sundheim will also join the assembly. Of the six Engineering candidates remaining after the disqualifications, three were elected to the UA: junior Edward Calvesbert, freshman incumbent Theo LeCompte and freshman Malhar Saraiya. And Nursing sophomore Keri Hyde, who ran unopposed, was named the Nursing representative. The top vote-getters in each race were also awarded seats on University Council. Barend will be the College's UC rep, Klein for Wharton, Saraiya for Engineering and Hyde for Nursing. Brody said he was very pleased with the outcome of the elections, despite the long deliberation.
(04/02/98 10:00am)
The Student Activities Council seems to have the amazing ability to perform a feat most other student groups only dream about — making large sums of money appear out of thin air.
(04/02/98 10:00am)
The Nominations and Elections Committee plans to better enforce its revised Fair Practices Code this year. If you are a student government candidate, don't plan on hitting the downtown parties tonight. You'll be in Houston Hall -- all night long. In fact, candidates would be well-advised to bring a book and a large cup of coffee to tonight's Fair Practices Code meeting, as a total of 28 charges -- which have to be dealt with before election results can be announced -- have been filed with the Nominations and Elections Committee for violations of the FPC, the rules governing elections. In response to what is perhaps the most visible conflict of this year's election, InterFraternity President Josh Belinfante brought charges against the Student Activities Council for a violation of the rules governing referenda. The charges brought by the IFC allege that SAC misrepresented the referendum voted on during UA elections. The referendum sought to restore the $30,000 from SAC that the UA recently allocated to the IFC. Belinfante alleged that through e-mails, posters and handouts, SAC officials "misled their constituencies and possibly extorted votes with promises of retribution." In his statement to the NEC, he concluded that SAC's actions biased the referendum and warrant its invalidation. Belinfante, a College junior, also filed an additional grievance noting that the IFC -- a clearly "interested party" -- was not invited to the referendum meeting, as it ought to have been, according to the rules. "The [NEC] will look at what [Belinfante] gives us and determine whether there was a violation," said NEC Chairperson Chris LaVigne, a College senior. In response to Belinfante's charges, SAC Chairperson Sang Cha, one of the resolution's sponsors, denied the allegation that his committee extorted votes, explaining that the e-mail in question was taken "totally out of context" by the IFC. Belinfante declined to comment on the charges last night. The last two charges were brought against the NEC and College and Engineering senior Ben Goldberger by current UA Chairperson Noah Bilenker, who is not running for re-election. Bilenker alleged that Goldberger -- one of the referendum's authors and past chairperson of the NEC -- did not clearly explain the referendum and the meaning of the two options on the ballot: "adopt" and "reject." Bilenker also charged the NEC with the same violation, noting that the committee did nothing to clear up the confusion. "I know people that had meant to vote against the referendum but voted for it because they didn't understand it," Bilenker said. "I had trouble understanding it myself." A vote to adopt the referendum would have resulted in the money allocated to the IFC going back to SAC, whereas a vote to reject it would have let the money stay in the UA's discretionary fund, earmarked for the IFC. Bilenker's second charge was brought against the NEC alone and alleged that the committee misclassified the referendum as "miscellaneous" instead of an "amendment." An amendment, which would require changing the UA constitution, needs the participation of 20 percent of all eligible voters in order to be binding, whereas a "miscellaneous" only requires a 15 percent turnout. Bilenker, a College junior, claimed that as the referendum was wrongly classified, the vote should be invalidated. SAC Executive Board member Elizabeth Scanlon, who will speak on behalf of Goldberger at tomorrow night's hearing, defended the clarity of the referendum, noting that SAC "did their best." "Although I believe the referendum was spelled out very clearly, you can't say it was our job to inform voters," said Scanlon, a College senior. Goldberger, who will be out of town, said he is "not worried" about the charge. Twenty-four of the charges were brought by the NEC against individual candidates for failing to turn in their spending forms on time, according to LaVigne. In past years, the majority of candidates charged with late submission of spending forms were generally absolved following lengthy hearings due to unclear wording in the FPC. However, in this year's newly revised FPC, it is explicitly stated that "failure to return a form without minimum 12-hour prior notification will be considered a violation." "Because the FPC has been made more stringent, NEC members are going to take late charges a lot more seriously," LaVigne said. And College freshman Ray Valerio, a candidate for sophomore class president, charged his opponent -- College freshman and current class President Cam Winton -- for a violation of the FPC regarding the poster policy. The poster policy governs where posters may be displayed. LaVigne declined to comment last night on the specifics of the charge.
(03/30/98 10:00am)
Thousands attended the outdoor event, but students complained of a lack of food and buses. Most outdoor-event organizers pray for warm weather and a good turnout. But too much of a good thing caused problems Saturday for the first Skimmer Day in more than a quarter-century. In what event planners termed as the single largest turnout for any University social event besides Spring Fling, Junior Class President Sarah Gleit -- the event's coordinator -- estimated that around 5,000 traveled the 2 1/2 miles from campus to Boathouse Row for the festivities. Although Gleit said the event "really showed a lot of school spirit," there was more than twice the anticipated turnout of 2,000. The increased volume caused several complications, including shortages of food and transportation, which caused a near-riot when hundreds of students tried to force their way onto buses. One of the major problems and the main focus of many students' complaints was the shortage of food and beverages. Since the organizers only ordered enough food for 2,000 people, there simply was not enough to go around, according to Gleit. And organizers were unable to arrange other vending alternatives because they could not get permits from the city. There was a vendor located about 100 meters away from the tents selling water, soda and hot dogs. Lines were long, and many people complained that its prices were too high. Transportation was also another major problem facing those at Saturday's event. The three buses hired for the day were not nearly enough to accommodate everyone. Additionally, many of the students who chose to walk to Skimmer said they had trouble finding the event, which was located more than a mile north of Boathouse Row on Kelly Drive along the Schuylkill River. Ads for Skimmer did not mention that the Temple University boathouse where the event was held was nearly three miles from campus. And as the event drew to a close, the concentrated masses of people seeking transportation back to the University presented a problem. The transportation shortage injected a little bit of the infamous Skimmer chaos of the 1960s and '70s, as huge mobs of students tried to cram themselves into the yellow school buses. Many students were forced to walk in order to catch taxis. "I contacted three of four taxi services prior to the event to accommodate any extra people," Gleit said. "But they said I had to call back on Saturday." Because there were so few available seats for the large throngs of sweaty and tired students, people shoved their way on board through the emergency exits. At least two students climbed through the relatively small windows. Matters quickly became so out of hand that one bus driver called police to remove the excess passengers. Legally, the buses can carry 72 riders, but more passengers forced their way on. At one point, angry riders chanted, "Take us home! Take us home!" Many of those in attendance said the event had potential, although it was a bit disorganized. "It was a nice change of venue for Penn's drunken stupor," said College sophomore Lauren Dickie. "It's too bad they ran out of food, though." Although Skimmer Day 1998 had its share of unruly chaos, it was relatively uneventful compared to Skimmers of years past, where the motto seemed to be "Anything Goes." Skimmer, which has had a long and tumultuous history, was banned and reinstated several times since its inception in 1949. In 1972, the University and the City of Philadelphia finally said enough was enough and banned the event for what they thought was for good. One particularly outrageous weekend in 1963 led to just one of the several terminations after numerous administrators were assaulted. The highlight of that year's Skimmer was a Saturday night concert on Franklin Field featuring Lloyd Price, the Limeliters and Bobby Comestock. Following the concert, just after midnight, a large brawl broke out among the 500 or so students still remaining on the field. In the process, students tore down the bandstand and started several bonfires. And to make matters worse, the wife of the assistant dean of men had beer thrown in her face before someone seized her, threw her to the ground and jumped on her. The dean of men was hit over the head as he attempted to quell the fighting, as was the director of Houston Hall, who was hospitalized and received 18 stitches to the face. Also, students ripped clothes, destroyed property and pushed a Volvo into the river. The event was brought back two years later by none other than current Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell, then a Penn undergrad. In its last year of existence in 1972, when students reportedly injected oranges with 200-proof grain alcohol and swam alongside the crew boats, the administration called it quits for good. Twenty-six years later, Gleit said she hopes the event will continue into the future. "The band was awesome, the weather incredible, the police non-existent, the alcohol ample," she said. "Next year the glitches will be gone and it's going to rock."
(03/27/98 10:00am)
The group is holding an event so students can get to know candidates. This Monday, instead of shelling out for lunch at your favorite food truck or contributing to the perpetual mid-day Salad Works mob, why not grab a free hoagie or a slice of pizza on Locust Walk? And while you're feeding your face, you can take in some food for thought as you learn more about your potential class board members and representatives to the Undergraduate Assembly. Monday's pre-election "party" on College Green will be the focal point of the Nominations and Elections Committee's "Get out the Vote" campaign for next week's elections, according to NEC Vice Chairperson for Elections Mike Brody, a College sophomore. The NEC launched the campaign this year in an attempt to increase voter turnout, which Brody said has been relatively poor in the past with only about 15 percent to 20 percent of eligible voters coming out. To former candidates like UA Chairperson Noah Bilenker, the NEC's "Get out the Vote" effort is a welcome source of assistance. The College junior -- who is not running for re-election -- said he hopes that the NEC's extra publicity will lend more legitimacy to the elections. "It's all about exposure," Bilenker said. "However, by giving candidates an opportunity to speak on the Green, the campaigns will hopefully be more about the issues and less about funny posters." The event, which will take place from noon to 4 p.m., will be the voters' final chance to learn about the candidates before heading to the polls Tuesday. Elections will be held Tuesday and Wednesday. The NEC had also hoped to include a variety of performing arts groups in Monday's program, but because the event will take place during the day, many prospective participants will be in class. Although the NEC spearheaded the event, several other campus groups collaborated in the effort, according to the event's coordinator, NEC member Neha Champaneria. Champaneria, a Wharton junior, noted that the UA gave money to the event, with the Social Planning and Events Committee donating equipment. She added that the NEC is still waiting for a commitment from the Tangible Change Committee, which may provide additional funds. Besides providing a designated stretch of campus for candidates to hand out last-minute campaign fliers, the event will also provide a public forum for those candidates who choose to give a brief speech. About 25 to 30 of the UA and class boards candidates had signed up to speak as of the candidates' meeting last week, Champaneria said. But she said the final number of speakers will probably be larger, as nearly half the candidates did not attend last Thursday's meeting. Although the party will certainly be the most visible aspect of the NEC's campaign, the committee is also doing several other small things which it hopes will increase awareness and bring more people out to vote. Brody said all polling places will be clearly labeled -- by means of large banners -- this year, as opposed to past years. The five locations will be: King's Court/English House, Hill House's dining hall, Stouffer Dining Commons, Class of 1920 Commons and the Castle. The committee also plans to run all five polling places on both election days this year, as opposed to four on the first day and two on the second as in previous years. In addition, the NEC is also providing all candidates with free quarter-page fliers to distribute during their campaigning. The committee hopes that the information printed on the fliers -- election dates and locations and hours of polling places -- will dispel any confusion and increase voter turnout. As in the past, the NEC will place a large banner on Locust Walk and finance a two-to-three page candidate profile spread in The Daily Pennsylvanian Tuesday, the first day of elections. Brody said he's optimistic about the turnout for next week's elections, considering the NEC's extensive publicizing. "My expectations are up," he said. "Now that we've taken on the class board elections as well, that will inevitably bring more people out." And Champaneria added that, for her, the main goal is to build awareness, not necessarily numbers. "Our primary purpose this year is to increase awareness of student government and elections," she said. "By raising awareness, we will establish a base for future years." And if free food and revelry were not enough to bring people to the Green Monday afternoon, senior class president candidates College junior Sarah Gleit and Wharton junior Clive Correia will speak back-to-back, Champaneria said. Correia lost to Gleit in a run-off election last spring for junior class president, and this year's rematch is expected to be the most closely contested election.
(03/27/98 10:00am)
Attention Quadrangle residents: Are you sick of having to navigate around ocean-size puddles on your way to and from classes? Do you find yourself peeling off one pair of sopping sneakers after another in an effort to stay dry? Fortunately, all of this may soon be a thing of the past -- at least according to University officials. Al Zuino, associate director of operations and maintenance in Housing Services, attributed many of the recent problems in the Quad to clogged drains and broken pipes. He said that he has been deploying his maintenance crews to the Quad over the past few days in an attempt to alleviate the problems. The combination of inadequate water drainage -- especially in the Lower Quad -- and the recent rainy weather have been an area of concern for many residents, according to freshman Undergraduate Assembly representative Michael Bassik, a Daily Pennsylvanian staff member. In an effort to solicit student input on dormitory maintenance problems, Bassik and several of his fellow freshman representatives went door-to-door last month in predominantly freshman dorms such as the Quad and Hill House. Bassik, a College freshman, said that "everyone had a lot of different little things that annoyed them," such as bathroom cleanliness and ventilation. But the drainage problems in the Lower Quad seemed to be among the most common concerns, he said. After identifying the problem, Bassik approached UA Vice Chairperson and College junior Samara Barend for help. Barend, a DP columnist, was able refer him to Lou Visco, director of maintenance and utilities for Facilities Services. Bassik described Visco as "very helpful," pointing out that he responded almost immediately to Bassik's e-mail and arranged a "Quad walk-through" with Bassik to locate and discuss concerns. "I was very impressed with the response time and attention to student concern," Bassik said. After the two noted areas in need of improvement, Visco passed the information along to Zuino, who began dispatching maintenance crews to the Lower Quad Tuesday. According to Zuino, all the drains are being thoroughly cleared of debris. Broken drain pipes near the Lower Quad entrance -- in front of Birthday and Graduate Houses -- have been marked for replacement. He did note, however, that the excavation process to fix these pipes will not begin until the summer because such a project would be "very disruptive" to current residents. Both Visco and Zuino praised Bassik and the UA for their willingness to bring problems to the attention of the facilities staff. "It's an open communication channel," Visco said. "I like to see people's comments -- good or bad." Although Zuino said the maintenance department was already aware of the drainage problems in the Quad, he also welcomed student input. "I think [input is] absolutely super," Zuino said. "I totally welcome any opinions and suggestions from anyone." Barend called Bassik's project a "true testament to the fact that UA members can get tangible things done." "Here's a UA member who's taken the initiative, gone to the administration and lobbied for students," Barend explained. "UA members aren't powerless." And anyone passing through the lower Quad this week has been able to see for themselves the results of UA action: Several maintenance trucks have been stationed on the grassy expanse as workers cleared the drains. Zuino said he is confident that the problem will be alleviated. "It certainly should reduce flooding," he said. "This is not a terrible problem. Of course, its impact is terrible when you can't get into your dorm. But it's easily fixable."
(03/25/98 10:00am)
Want to be the senior class secretary? Or how about the junior class College or Arts and Sciences representative? You might have a better chance that you think -- no one else is running for those two seats or five others: senior class historian, the sophomore and junior class Nursing seats, the senior class Wharton representative and the senior class School of Engineering and Applied Science posts. Additionally, 12 other class board candidates for more prominent positions, including junior class vice president, are running unopposed. Nominations and Elections Committee Vice Chairperson for Elections Mike Brody said the low level of competition is not especially surprising. He attributed it to the fact that this is the first time the NEC has run the class board elections, which had previously been held by the boards themselves. The NEC required candidates to get more student signatures in order to qualify to run. "A lot of the class board candidates are not used to [the NEC's] election process," Brody said. "We set the signature totals a lot higher this year, and the idea of all the extra work might have been intimidating for [potential candidates]." In what is likely to be the most contested election, Wharton junior Clive Correia and College junior Sarah Gleit will vie in a rematch for the title of senior class president. Correia narrowly lost the junior class presidency to Gleit in a run-off election last spring. Robin Grossman, the current vice president, and Jeremy Katz, both College juniors, will face off the for the senior class vice presidency; College junior Ariella Poncz will run unopposed for re-election as class treasurer; Paras Shah and Joshua Diamond will vie for College representative; and Valerie Fields will run unopposed for re-election as Nursing representative. In the races for the junior class board, College sophomores Michael Flicker and Lisa Marshall will battle for the position of class president; College sophomore Jeff Lynn will run unopposed for the title of vice president; and Nursing sophomore Amy Koenigsberg will run unopposed for re-election as secretary. Also running unopposed are College sophomore Jennifer Brown for treasurer and Wharton sophomore David Chu for re-election as vice-president for corporate sponsorship. Incumbents Monique Mayer and Janet Duscher will run unopposed for Wharton representative and Engineering representative, respectively. And College freshman Ray Valerio will challenge College freshman Cam Winton, the current class president, for sophomore class president. Engineering freshman Nimita Shah will run unopposed for vice president, as will College freshman Yael Steren for class secretary. Wharton freshmen Zach Bornstein and current class treasurer David Peretz will face off for the position of sophomore class treasurer and Saraiya Malhar will run unopposed for vice president for corporate sponsorship. In what will be, by far, the most competitive race of the class board elections, four freshmen will compete for the title of sophomore class College representative: Vanessa Freeman, Jonathan Glick, Chris Rooney and Alexis Geaneotes. Nikhil Da Victoria Lobo will run unopposed for re-election as class Wharton representative. Theo LeCompte and Campbell Austin, a Daily Pennsylvanian staff member, will vie for the Engineering seat.
(03/23/98 10:00am)
Student leaders cited the group's limited power and general apathy. As its term comes to a close, the 1997-98 Undergraduate Assembly's term is getting mixed reviews from members and student leaders. Although UA members and other student leaders cited several positive aspects of this body's tenure, the 1997-98 group has a relatively short list of accomplishments. The assembly was also plagued with low attendance this semester, despite several meetings with record-breaking turnout in the fall. UA leaders list progress in obtaining new recreation facilities and dining options among the successful causes the body has championed over the past year. But other issues, such as increasing Spectaguard hours to allow parties to stay open longer, took up hours of meeting time without resulting in any real progress. Despite its lack of progress on many issues, College junior and UA Vice-Chairperson Samara Barend -- a Daily Pennsylvanian columnist -- defended the UA, explaining that the body's lack of legislative power makes it difficult to affect change. "I think the root of the problem is that the [students and administration] expect that each UA meeting should produce big results -- it just doesn't happen that way," Barend said. "Our meetings are more about communication and ideas," she added. "We can't directly legislate? the administration is not bound by our resolutions." Last September, members outlined a number of goals for the UA: increasing its visibility, becoming more inclusive of other student groups and working on more concrete objectives. According to College junior and UA Chairperson Noah Bilenker, his assembly has made some progress in these areas but still has a ways to go. Although Bilenker cited the UA's collaboration with the Student Committee on Undergraduate Education to set up "leadership luncheons" -- which bring together student leaders from many of the UA's constituent groups -- he said there is still the need for more interaction between different student groups. Barend also emphasized the need for more "outside" input, particularly from those who are not involved in student government at all. UA members noted the creation of the Penn Consumer Board, the Dining Advisory Board and progress toward the construction of new recreation facilities as some accomplishments, among many smaller and less publicized successes. "Without the UA, we wouldn't have the McClelland Marketplace, weekend meals, or a lot of other little things," Bilenker said. Another issue facing this year's UA was the overwhelming presence of Greek members -- 20 of 25 members -- in the body following last spring's elections. Many members of the University community feared that Greek issues would dominate the agenda. And as attendance problems plagued the body this winter, some members blamed the absences on Greek rush and pledge events. Although several Greek-related initiatives -- such as the request for increased Spectaguard hours -- were introduced, UA members said the Greek presence did not overshadow other issues. "I don't think [Greeks] really influenced the agenda," Barend said. "A positive thing actually came out of it in that the UA has established a better relationship with the IFC and [the Panhellenic Council] than ever in the past." But Wharton senior and former Student Activities Council Chairperson Steve Schorr -- a former UA treasurer -- said he was disappointed with the assembly's recent allocation of $30,000 to the IFC. The decision to fund the IFC's "Greek Weekend" and other events effectively removed $30,000 from SAC's budget. "One of the more unfortunate things about this year's UA is that they followed through on their promise to give money to the Greek system," Schorr said. "They've never done that in the past and it really hurt many groups in SAC." Other student leaders raised concerns about the level of enthusiasm and participation within the UA. Junior Class President Sarah Gleit said she was pleased with her board's relationship with the UA, though she noted a general apathy within the body. "I think that the UA as a body was very weak," said Gleit, a College junior. "A lot of students on it just didn't show interest or were disillusioned. In order for a group to function properly, all the participants have to care." The fact that relatively few current UA members have chosen to seek re-election this spring may be indicative of a heightening sense of apathy and disillusionment within the board. "It's been a relatively lackluster year for the UA," Wharton sophomore and UA member David Goldberger said last week. "[The UA] has lost a lot of confidence from the administration and the student body." And College junior Olivia Troye, who resigned her position as UA secretary mid-term, said the organization "isn't going anywhere."
(03/20/98 10:00am)
And they're off! The 10-day campaigning period for the 50 candidates for the Undergraduate Assembly officially began at midnight. Continuing a trend that began with last year's elections, at least three-fifths of the candidates are Greek. Also, half of the UA members seeking re-election are Greek. It was unclear last night whether nine of the candidates are affiliated with fraternities or sororities. Members of fraternities and sororities make up about one-third of the undergraduate population. Last year, about two-fifths of UA candidates were Greek. The Nominations and Elections Committee announced this year's candidates at a meeting last night. Only 12 of this year's 31-member UA chose to run for re-election, and current Chairperson and College junior Noah Bilenker was not one of them. Six of the incumbents are freshmen. Former UA secretary Olivia Troye, who resigned her position last month, said the body's ineffectiveness might be responsible for the large exodus of members. "It takes a year for people to notice that the organization isn't going anywhere," Troye said. Of the 31 total candidates vying for 16 seats in the UA, nine are current UA members. College junior and present UA Vice-Chairperson Samara Barend, a Daily Pennsylvanian columnist, will seek re-election, as will sophomore Bill Conway, the current treasurer. Also seeking re-election are juniors Carter Byrnes and Jeremy Katz, sophomore Lori Taliaferro and freshman incumbents Michael Bassik, John Glick, Allison Hersh and Melanie Leibner. The races for the five seats up for grabs in the Wharton School are likely to be just as tough, with 10 candidates in the running -- only one of whom is a current representative. Freshman Rishi Bajaj will seek re-election along with junior newcomers Tavis Cannell, Jason Eddleston, Mark Halpern, Brett Klein, Jeffrey Snyder -- a Daily Pennsylvanian columnist -- and Dan Sundheim. Also new to the races are sophomores Ryan Robinson and Josef Merrill and freshman Aaron Karo. Eight candidates will face off for the three open seats in the School of Engineering and Applied Science, including two incumbents. Junior representative Hadley Harris and freshman Theo Le Compte both hope to stay on another term. Also running will be freshmen Joey Levin, Malhar Saraiya and Campbell Austin, a Daily Pennsylvanian staff member; sophomore Joshua McGrath; and juniors Edward Calvesbert and Jesse Janosov. Also, Nursing sophomore Keri Hyde will run unopposed for the school's one open seat, replacing junior Olivia Voellmicke. UA members cited everything from general disillusionment to the large number of departing seniors as reasons for the relatively small percentage of incumbents seeking re-election. Current UA members who chose not to run for re-election cited a variety of personal reasons including other commitments and study-abroad programs. Bilenker said he will not run again partly because of the one-term limit on chairpersonship and also because he feels he can accomplish his goals without the help of the UA. And College sophomore and current UA member Matt Chait, who also opted not to run for re-election, said he does not think "the administration respects the body."
(02/26/98 10:00am)
Although the Nominations and Elections Committee made few substantial changes to the rules governing student-government elections this year, the body has focused on making the rules clearer to candidates in an effort to avoid campaign violations. Last year, 44 of 56 candidates were charged with election violations, largely as a result of an allegedly illegal e-mail. Only one candidate -- then-Undergraduate Assembly Vice Chairperson and College senior Larry Kamin -- was actually disqualified. On Tuesday, the NEC released its newly-updated Fair Practices Code, which regulates UA and University Council elections. For the first time, the NEC will also be running all class board elections. The class boards used to run their own elections. But members and advisers requested that the elections be turned over to the NEC, according to NEC Vice Chairperson for Elections Mike Brody. "Class board elections have not always been run with efficiency and validity," said Brody, a College sophomore. There have been several changes to this year's code, according to Brody, who said a special task force was organized to review the code after fall elections. Most of the changes involve simple rewording and "tightening of the language" in order to make it clearer, he said. According to NEC Chairperson and College senior Chris LaVigne, the impetus for these changes had to do with the fact that, in the past, the FPC was very ambiguous and open to interpretation by both the candidates and the NEC. On the day following each election, there is a Fair Practices Code hearing during which charges may be brought against a candidate or against the NEC for alleged violations of the code. Because of the ambiguity of the code, these hearings often lasted for hours and were inconclusive, according to LaVigne. After considering the charges, the NEC announces the results of the election at the end of the meeting. "At the FPC hearing last year, it became clear that we need to revise [the code] because it was very ambiguous," LaVigne said. "We hope that this year's FPC will give the candidates a more explicit sense of the rules -- of what they can and can't do." Undergraduate Chairperson and College junior Noah Bilenker agreed that something needed to be done to clarify the guidelines set forth by the FPC. "Last year's hearing was ridiculously long," he said. "There was just a tremendous amount of accusations." The code also set down requirements for the now-NEC-run class board elections, including setting the number of required signatures to run and allocating an extra $5 to candidates who run for both class boards and the UA. According to the new FPC rules, in order to become a candidate for class president, an individual must obtain 500 signatures from his or her respective class and a candidate for vice president must obtain 400. Those wishing to run for secretary, treasurer or vice president for corporate sponsorship must obtain 250 signatures each, while candidates for the at-large positions of school representative must obtain signatures from 10 percent of their class within their home school. According to LaVigne, this change was made in an effort to narrow down the typically large pool of class board candidates in order to avoid costly and time-consuming run-offs. LaVigne said significantly fewer signatures were required last year, although he did not know the exact number. Junior Class President Sarah Gleit, a College junior, said increasing the number of signatures will attract better candidates by forcing them to put in more time and meet more students. The number of required signatures for UA candidacy has not been changed from last year's code. A second change, made at the request of the UA, precludes anyone planning to take a semester abroad from running for office. According to Bilenker, the UA had problems this year when a member of the body decided to go abroad for a semester. The other changes consisted mainly of rewording clauses in an effort to make the rules more explicit to candidates.
